I want to Build an Oil Storage Program, Now What?

Above: An example of possible oil storage area we designed for a customer so they could see it before implemented

The lifelong question remains, where do I start? We already know the reasons why to start an oil storage program as we learned in our previous blog post which you can review here: Below we go give you a road map to begin the journey on your own and remember our reliability specialists are always ready to jump in and help you along the way too!

1. Consolidate the oils you keep on hand- We often find that facilities have multiple products that perform the same function on hand. Standardize on 1 product in that viscosity and eliminate the others on hand. We recently helped a customer reduce their inventory from 13 oils down to 8, and 4 greases to just 1.

2. Determine the quantity (gallons) of each oil that you need to keep on hand- What oils need to be ordered in bulk (bulk, totes, drums) and what needs to be ordered in 5gl. pails or smaller, if available. We don't recommend having more oil on hand than you will use in 6 months.

3. Now you are ready to look at oil storage options-for bulk storage do you want steel tanks or plastic? do you want filtration built-in? do you need spill containment? Utilize our oil storage program worksheet found here: Then we need to look at your smaller transfer containers. There are multiple options here and all are good so it really comes down to preference but utilize containers in sizes that make sense for topping up common pieces of equipment as needed.

4. Develop a color-coding program- Your container lids usually are available in at least 10 colors. Your bulk tanks, transfer containers, and equipment should all be tagged/labeled with matching colors/tags to eliminate confusion in selecting oils, avoiding cross contamination. Shapes can also be incorporated into the colored tags to further help distinguish oils and also help any employees that may be color blind.

   Train employees on the program- an educated employee is more likely to participate willingly in the program. They will understand the merits of the program and how it will over all make their jobs easier in the long run. We have been long time proponents of training for our customers and remember that training for many topics is complimentary for our valued customers. Contact ISL your reliability specialist to discuss training options and to schedule. 913-334-5823 or info@indsealing.com